Third Sunday of Lent - Year A

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Third Sunday of Lent - Year A

March 12, 2017

Gospel: Jn 4:5-42

Jesus came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there. Jesus, tired from his journey, sat down there at the well. It was about noon.

A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." His disciples had gone into the town to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to him, "How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?" - For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans. - Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God and who is saying to you, 'Give me a drink, ' you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." The woman said to him, "Sir, you do not even have a bucket and the cistern (1) is deep; where then can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this cistern and drank from it himself with his children and his flocks?" Jesus answered and said to her, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water."

Jesus said to her, "Go call your husband and come back." The woman answered and said to him, "I do not have a husband." Jesus answered her, "You are right in saying, 'I do not have a husband.' For you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true." The woman said to him, "Sir, I can see that you are a prophet(2). Our ancestors worshiped(3) on this mountain; but you people say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem." Jesus said to her, "Believe me, woman, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You people worship what you do not understand; we worship what we understand, because salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth; and indeed the Father seeks such people to worship him. God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and truth." The woman said to him, "I know that the Messiah is coming, the one called the Christ; when he comes, he will tell us everything." Jesus said to her, "I am he, the one speaking with you."

At that moment his disciples returned, and were amazed that he was talking with a woman, but still no one said, "What are you looking for?" or "Why are you talking with her?" The woman left her water jar and went into the town and said to the people, "Come see a man who told me everything I have done. Could he possibly be the Christ?" They went out of the town and came to him. Meanwhile, the disciples urged him, "Rabbi, eat." But he said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know." So the disciples said to one another, "Could someone have brought him something to eat?" Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of the one who sent me and to finish his work. Do you not say, 'In four months the harvest will be here'? I tell you, look up and see the fields ripe for the harvest. The reaper is already receiving payment and gathering crops for eternal life, so that the sower and reaper can rejoice together. For here the saying is verified that 'One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap what you have not worked for; others have done the work, and you are sharing the fruits of their work."

Many of the Samaritans of that town began to believe in him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me everything I have done." When the Samaritans came to him, they invited him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. Many more began to believe in him because of his word, and they said to the woman, "We no longer believe because of your word; for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the savior of the world."

http://www.usccb.org

The difficult words

(1)A cistern is a well.(2)A prophet is a holy man who shares special wisdom from God.(3)To worship is to love God and to pray to him.

This week’s spotlight

The Messiah

The Jews waited many years for God to I keep his promise of sending them a savior. The prophets said many things about this coming Messiah. They said he would be born in Bethlehem, bring good news to the poor; heal the sick, and set the Jews free. The prophets urged the people to get ready for his coming. Oddly, while many Jews rejected Jesus, the Samaritan woman recognized that he was the long-awaited Messiah.

Jacob

Jacob was the son of Isaac, and the grandson of Abraham. His story is told in the book of Genesis (chapters 25 to 49). He had a life of many struggles, but never gave up. God changed his name to Israel, which means “you have struggled with God and won." The Jewish people (the Israelites) and their land are named after him. Jacob's twelve sons became the fathers of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Reflection

Living water for a completely new life

Imagine Jesus with the Samaritan woman at the well. He speaks to her about a different kind of water - a "living water." What is this water that Jesus promised? What is this water that comes directly from God and gives eternal life? You have already received this water! It is the water with which you were baptized. It is the water of grace and the Holy Spirit! On the day of your baptism, when the priest poured the water over you, God opened the way to eternal life for you. Ever since that day, the living water of the Holy Spirit has been flowing like a fountain in your heart. You were born into a new family. Your life is no longer your own, but the new life of the risen Christ, the life of a child of God. This is a reason to celebrate! Along with all those preparing for Easter, begin a new life of joy! God is keeping his promises!

Discussion questions

1.Where does Jesus meet the Samaritan woman?2.What does Jesus ask the woman for?3.What kind of water does Jesus offer the woman?4.Does the woman accept Jesus’ gift?5.What does she do next?

Praying after Communion

After receiving Holy Communion, you can say thisprayer silently to yourself. If you have notyet received your First Communion, you canstill say thisprayer because of your desire to receive Jesus.

Father may this communion with your Son, Jesus Christ, quench our thirst for you. Give us this living water to nourish us and strengthen us to share our faith with others.

This week…

Thank God for your baptism

When you go to Mass this Sunday, make a slow and reverent sign of the cross with water from the holy water font as you enter the church. Let the water and the gesture remind you of what it means to have been baptized. Thank God for this new life!

Remember the day of your baptism

This week, go in search of some memories of your baptism. You could find some photos, a videotape, your baptismal gown, or your baptismal candle. Ask your parents or grandparents to tell you what they remember about that wonderful day.